While the majority of NBA players today are of color, this wasn’t always the case. On Oct 31, 1950, Earl Lloyd broke the League’s color barrier when he entered the game for the Washington Capitols against the Rochester Royals (which today are now the Sacramento Kings).
While it marked a historical moment, he described it as ordinary in an interview years later.
“Winter time in Rochester,” Lloyd said. “It’s too damn cold to hate anybody.”
Two other black players Chuck Cooper and Sweetwater Clifton also made their debuts in the 1950 season, shortly after Lloyd became the first.